Known as "The Time Lady," she also recorded the time for the National Bureau of Standards' Time Signal call-in service. Jane Barbe began recording phrases such as "The number you have dialed is not in service," beginning in 1963 for Electronic Communications Inc. Wrong number: If the recording you hear when you dial a wrong number sounds a bit dated, that's because it is. "You've Got Mail" was used for the title of a blockbuster romantic comedy, which Elwood helped promote. Karen Edwards told the eventual AOL CEO about her husband's profession, and she had him record a handful of phrases on a cassette tape in his living room: "Welcome," "File's Done," "Goodbye," and the most famous, "You've Got Mail." Case said he wanted to use a voice recording to notify people when they receive email. The voice actor's wife Karen worked for Quantum Computer Services when she overheard CEO Steve Case talking about what would eventually become the software for AOL. In a cameo, Leatherman confronted Kramer at the end of the episode.ĪOL ( AOL) bought Moviefone in 1999, but Leatherman still works for the company, voicing the phone service and performing six-second reviews for the website.ĪOL mail: The fact that you recognize Elwood Edwards' voice is the result of dumb luck. Leatherman became a quasi-celebrity after his enthusiastic greeting became a major plot line in a 1995 episode of "Seinfeld." In the TV show, Kramer's new phone number was just one digit off the number for Moviefone.Īfter receiving countless calls from people dialing the wrong number, Kramer opts just to read the movie listings himself. Moviefone: "Hello! And welcome to Moviefone!" The greeting for the still-operational telephone movie listing service is voiced by Moviefone's nasally creator Russ Leatherman. Rain's voice wasn't used for the spot, but the actor who voiced HAL in the commercial was a dead-ringer for him. Even Siri pokes fun of HAL - just ask the assistant to "open the pod bay doors."Īpple ( AAPL, Fortune 500) also used HAL 9000 in a 1999 Macintosh commercial, taking a jab at IBM ( IBM, Fortune 500) and Microsoft ( MSFT, Fortune 500) Windows PCs for the Y2K bug. I'm afraid I can't do that" has been referenced and parodied dozens of times in popular culture. HAL 9000: Douglas Rain, the Canadian actor who voiced HAL 9000 in 2001: "A Space Odyssey," was among the first famous computer voices. But there are some others throughout the years that could rival her digital audio fame. Hand crafted for absolute accuracy, the HAL 9000 replica will set you back $US499.Bennett's voice may be the most recognized in tech today. The whole device runs off a single nine volt battery. When conversed with for over 1.2 seconds, the wall-mounted device will respond with one of the key phrases from the film. Or alternatively, you can talk to HAL 9000 to get a response. Turn the lens to activate it, and HAL 9000 will talk.15 quotes from the movie are randomly cycled through when you point pretty much any IR remote at the device and press a button. And naturally, there’s a red LED eye for the perfect level of spine-tingling creepiness.īut aside from just looking amazing, this thing actually feels amazing. The rest of HAL 9000’s body is made from machined 6061 aircraft-grade aluminium, which has been anodised for the black parts. The rare and expensive Nikkor lens used in the studio prop has been replicated with a sticker matching the original lens for absolute accuracy. The guys at ThinkGeek have managed to recreate the creepy machine, using actual studio blueprints from the 1968 film. Have you ever thought to yourself, “Man, my house could really use an evil artificial intelligence hell-bent on destroying me?” Is your name Dave? Then you’ll love this life-size replica of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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